Obstetrical chair



OFFICE.

G. C. WINGO, OF NEWPORT, VIRGINIA.

OBSTETRICAL CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,291, dated August 24, 1858.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, C. C. WINGO, of Newport, Giles county, Virginia,have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Obstetric Chairs,which are designed to support and relieve a woman during parturition andto render delivery easier, more speedy, and safer by giving support andcomfort to the back and preventing those distressing pains of the thighswhich frequently occur in delivery under ordinary treatment; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in combining with a portable chairof a peculiar construction, a set of pads, straps and handles, so thatthe patient, without aid or assistance, can readily apply them to herperson, and obtain that support to the back, and relief from thedistressing` pains in the thighs, in the hours of parturition, which areso much desired in such cases.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I make two half boxes about five inches wide, two inches deep, andeighteen inches long; which, when secured together by the hooks, formsthe portable case for the chair and all its fixtures. These boxes, whenplaced upside down, and bound together, by two pieces of wood and ascrew, in the rear, form the seat. The seat is then supported by fourposts, one of which is placed in each outer corner of the boxes, and isbound and made fast by two screws, one of which passes only through thewalls of the box into the leg, or post; while the other, in the case ofthe fore-leg, passes through the upright which supports the arm; and, inthe case of the hind leg, passes through the braces of the arms, andthen through the lower end of the back, and then through the walls ofthe box and into the legs. The back of the chair is made of two piecesof wood I inch by 12, inches at the inferior end, and one inch by -35inch at the superior end, with a piece of canvas stretched from o-ne tothe other, and covered with some finish to suit; they are then braced bytwo slats across the back, and, in the middle, are cut in two and hingedtogether, so that they will fold, and may be packed readily.

The back is made so as to vary its angle with the seat, by means of twoquarter circles attached to the posterior ends of the arms. The arms arecomposed of a straight piece of wood l inch by 9 the front end of which,rests Von two metallic uprights, and secured there, by screws. In thelupper part of the uprights, and just beneath the arms are two slats ofwood passing through the uprights, and made to slide back and forward,so as tobe adjusted, to suit different patients. Through the lower endsof the front legs of the chair, also, are two slats, made adjustable inlike manner; and to the front end ofeach `is hinged a footpiece.

A pad of leather or some other suitable material is suspended in frontof. the back j of the chair, by two pieces of tape; one piece beingattached to each end of thel pad, while the opposite ends of each pieceare secured to the back of the chair, so as to suifer the pad to hanglow enough to reach the small of the back of the patient; From each endof this pad a cord passes through a hole in the upright just `under thehand slat (C), and is then passed down and attached to the front end ofthe foot board (I). From the handles of two spring pads (G, G,) a cordis passed around a pulley (c) in the lower end of the upright of theback of the chair and a little above the seat, then through a hole inthe front upright of the arm of the chair, and just under the hand slat;and again, around a pulley .in the front end of the hand slat, to theupper side of the same; where they are attached to a handle, which isheld by the hand of the patient.

Figure (l) is a view, in perspective, of the chair with all itsappurtenances; in

which A, A, are the half boxes which form the seat, B, B, the arms withthe metallic arc (E) attached; O, C, are the hand slats; D, D, the backof the chair; F, F, are the braces of the arms of the chair; G, Gr, arethe pads for the knees; I-I, I-I, are the front uprights of the arms ofthe chair; I, I, are the foot pieces hinged at the front extremity ofthe adjustable slats M, M; K, K, are the fore legs; and L, L, are thehind legs; O is the back pad, suspended from the point (el) by twopieces` of tape 5,); and cords passing from the extremities of the pad,through the uprights I-I, H, and passing down to the front ends of thefoot-pieces are there attached: The chord (a) passes from the knee padvaround `the pulley (C), then up through the upright (H), and around apulley (f), it is then secured to the handles.

Fig. (2) is a profile view of the patient sitting in the chair, showingthe mode of using the same. It will be observed that the cords, from theknee pad to the pulley (0), are kept in a parallel direction, or nearlyso, with a line from the knee joint to the pelvis; and that the cords(Z9, b) from the back pad (O) to the point where it passes through theuprights (H, H,) are nearly at right angles with the spinal column, atthat part supported by the pad.

Fig. (3) is a perspective view of the two half boXes (A, A,) when hookedtogether, and forming the portable case, for the chair and Xtures.

Fig. (4C) is a plan of one half box.

The operation is as follows: When the pains of labor seize the patientshe at once seats herself in the chair, adjusts the pads, as shown inFig. (2), places her feet on the foot pieces (I, I,) and her hands onthe handles of the cords (a, a,). Then, as she presses her feet againstthe foot pieces, the pad (O) is' drawn up firmly against the back,giving support to the same; and as she pulls the cords (a, a,) with herhands, a counter pressure is exerted on the thigh bones, by

` the knee pads (G, Gr,) being drawn in the direction of the pulleys (0,0,) thus holding them in proper position, and relieving the patient fromthe pain in these parts; which usually attends the patient in theordinary modes of delivery.

Having thus described my improved chair and the operation of the same, Iwill state that I am aware that obstetrical supporters have been usedwith ads on the back and in front of the knee ofp the patient, and havebeen operated by means of straps and handles, so as to produce resultssomewhat analogous to those produced by my arrangement. I, therefore, donot claim as new, any and every arrangement of the pads and straps,which would produce like results; but,

I claiml. Passing the strap or cord through the standard of the portablechair, at a point on a level, or nearly so, with the pad (0); and thecord (a) around a pulley (c), in the back of the chair and a littleabove the seat of the same (substantially as described) so that theoperation of the straps or cords will be in the direction in whichsupport is most needed, and the counter pressure produced by the actionof the two pads (O, and Gr,) may have the fullest effect.

2. I also claim the adjustable hand slats (c, c) and the foot pieces (I,I,)when arranged and combined with a portable chair,

substantially as described, for the purpose of adapting the chair todifferent persons. C. C. IVINGO.

Witnesses:

K A. I-IEBRERT,

EDW. F. BROWN.

